Writing Skills

As well as being the author of more than 30 books, Sue Cowley has taught literacy at early years and primary levels, she led a team of school children producing a school magazine for 10 years, and she has also worked as an English teacher in secondary schools.  Her writing course can be run as either a twilight, half day or full day training course.  During this course, Sue uses a combination of training slides, practical demonstrations and individual/group activities to show staff how to develop students’ thinking skills.

This course can also be run with a focus on early mark making, looking at the links between early physical and cognitive development and writing, and at how to create an environment in an early years setting to support this.

During the course, Sue can cover some or all of the following topics:

• Warm-ups for writing
• Ready to write: the importance of fine and gross motor development

• Focus exercises for writing

• Improving the basics: spelling, punctuation, grammar

• Active approaches to grammar

• Activities for improving handwriting

• The writer’s toolkit: key writing techniques

• Creating an atmosphere for writing

• Finding inspirations for writing

• Working with genre and form

• Understanding your audience

• Viewpoint, timing and style

• Developing non fiction writing

• Boys don’t write?: supporting progress in writing

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